Maungawhau Station development site
Progress update and have your say
Kia ora community member
Auckland Council and Auckland Transport are in touch to provide an update on the development site adjacent to the new Maungawhau Station and within the Uptown precinct.
With the station and the City Rail Link (CRL) due to open next year, we know the community remain interested in the future of the site.
This month we held several workshops with ward councillors and local board members, Uptown Business Association, as well as the CRL Maungawhau Station Community Liaison Group We’d now like to share these updates more widely and invite you to have your say on interim plans for the site.
Key updates
Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, and City Rail Link Ltd are continuing to work together to maximise opportunities for the development site that has been enabled by the CRL project – both for the short, medium and long term. Over the last few months, a dedicated working group led by Auckland Council has reviewed plans for the site The outcomes of the review are as follows.
• Auckland Council has built in more flexibility for the long-term development site, to ensure maximum value is achieved while also providing for good outcomes for station users, the local community and future residents of the site. This is being done by deferring immediate delivery of the proposed Tunnel Street accessway and allowing developers to consider the site as a whole to determine where accessways and open spaces could be built within their plans.
• Auckland Council is also working on progressing the release of sites for sale. Building in more flexibility to the main development site opens up the possibility of working with a single developer with the scale and track-record to deliver a quality large-scale development. While marketing of the site is expected to commence next year, the scale of the development is such that a developer will likely take several years to design and build. The development process must also be delivered according to central government legislation priorities alongside Auckland Council planning requirements. Auckland Council will be in touch with the community as this process moves forward.
• Auckland Transport is also investigating future-proofing the transport network in the area This would enable some buses to come in closer to the train station from existing routes on Mt Eden Rd and New North Rd, to reduce walking distance for train-bus transfers While private vehicles and ride-shares will be able to access the station entrance for pick-ups and drop-offs from day one of CRL operations, buses will drop off and pick up from New North Road and Mt Eden Road. Auckland Transport is investigating possible designation of land within the development to enable the possibility for buses to enter the site in future (for example, land to enable future widening and upgrade of Ruru Lane).
Interim activation plans for the site
With permanent development of the site several years away, the review also recommended activating parts of the site in the meantime
Before the station opens, some parts of the site will be asphalted, some will be planted with grass and shrubs, and some of the larger areas will be fenced off for now When it’s safe to do so, walkways and roads within the site will also open for public use.
An interim activation strategy, to be in place in time for the opening of the CRL, is being developed to create a welcoming, vibrant and functional environment for transport users and the local community.
As the timing of future development is uncertain, these activations must be robust enough to last several years while also being flexible enough to be removed/relocated as and when permanent development progresses. As they will be temporary, activations must also be reasonable and respectful of the current financial environment.
What we have heard so far
The following themes have emerged from our early stakeholder engagement so far.
The long-term development
• Given the change in long-term development approach, the community is seeking further input into its outcomes, parameters and plans. They want to find out more about how the development process will unfold, particularly over the next few years.
• The community is interested in the current Auckland Council draft plan change process, which may affect underlying development zoning in the area and therefore the development itself
• It is important that the development complements and integrates with the wider community that is already in the area.
• Development plans and maps should be “zoomed out” where possible to show the existing wider community in view.
Interim activation of the site
• Wayfinding and activating the footpath/road from the station to Uptown businesses (especially via Nikau St) is important. This is also important for the long-term development.
• Interim activations should have elements of green, creativity, art, active elements, and be family friendly.
• Markets should be considered but not detract from existing Uptown businesses.
• Seating should be included, as well as lighting. Safe spaces are very important.
• Build on and complement the good work already happening by Uptown Business Association and local businesses.
• Consider short- or medium-term leases of the sites
Interim activation of the site – it’s time to have your say!
Auckland Transport has engaged Fresh Concept (place-making business local to the Uptown area) to develop an interim activation strategy for the site We would love to hear from you about what you’d like to see in the interim spaces!
Please click here to take a quick survey – this will only take a few minutes of your time. Responses are required by 22 September 2025.
CLICK TO GO TO SURVEY or enter www.tinyurl.com/maungawhau-survey
Thank you from the Maungawhau development site Council Group team
Indicative site plan
